Spark dangles special dividend sweetener for another year, shares rise

Spark dangles special dividend sweetener for another year, shares rise
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth Feb. 18 (BusinessDesk) - Spark New Zealand shares rose 2.3 percent after the country's biggest telecommunications company dangled the prospect of a cash sweetener to investors for a second year in a row.  The Auckland-based company's board delivered on an intention to pay special dividends this year, and wants to keep paying them in 2017. The board declared interim dividends totalling 12.5 cents per share today, including a 1.5 cents special dividend, and affirmed its forecast for annual ordinary dividends of 22 cents and s...